Culture is Shared
I was talking to some potential partners the other day and they remarked that Permanent Equity’s culture “looks strong” from the outside. We all have bad days, but I took it as a compliment on what we’re trying to build. Asked why, after thinking about it, I attributed it to three things:
(1) Shared experiences.
Every Thursday, we eat lunch together – catered by Ryan’s wife, Chef Alane. It’s healthy and delicious, and she shares the recipe (this was a particularly good one) so we can all make whatever we just devoured at home. Sometimes spending that time together leads to a business breakthrough; other times it’s just fun. Either way, we find that proximity compounds – which is also why we were back in the office so soon amid the pandemic. We just didn’t have such a clever term for it then.
(2) Shared language.
Shared shorthand is a superpower. It enables you to cover complex topics and gain mutual understanding with a single phrase. Beer Money. The barbell. Even, “bussin’.” When you speak the same language, better decisions get made faster. Plus, inside jokes are fun when everyone is on them.
(3) Shared standards.
Everyone needs to know where they stand, what success looks like, and how to move the needle. Candidly, I think we’re solid at experiences and language, but could do better with standards. We started focusing more on this recently with Brent’s directive to be kind, not nice. It’s also why we implemented our Blueprint process and boards of directors. There is always an interesting debate to be had around failures of management vis a vis failures of performance. But it all starts with clear expectations and objectives that beget measurable actions. If you have that, you have shared standards and accountability.
Occasionally, a company’s culture gets confused with the breadth of perks and benefits it offers, and Permanent Equity tries to offer some cool ones of those, too. Ultimately, however, culture is not what you get, but what you share. And if you share experiences, languages, and standards, you’ll get the culture you deserve.
– Tim
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